how to choose what to read (what I'm reading: Tony Reinke's Lit!)

"For every one book that you choose to read, you must ignore ten thousand other books simply because you don't have the time" (page 94). So says Tony Reinke in Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books.

He gives some hints. Choose carefully. Decide why you're reading a book before you read it. Don't finish the book if it's not achieving anything. Read bits of some books, and all of other books. Yes, it's true: you don't always have to read all of a book!

How do you choose what to read? At the start of each year, I make a list of books I want to read in particular categories. Tony recommends something similar. Here are his six categories (yours will look different - except the first, I hope):

1. Reading Scripture - both in big chunks, and small bits for close study


2. Reading to know and delight in Christ - theological books about Jesus, his cross and resurrection


3. Reading to kindle spiritual reflection - this can include anything from a book of poems or an autobiography to a Christian novel


4. Reading to initiate personal change - such books pack the shelves of Christian bookshops, but must be chosen and read with care, or they will lead to legalism or pride: books on Christian living, prayer, anxiety, parenting etc. Choose ones that major on the gospel and biblical truth (e.g. Tim Chester, Ed Welch, Jerry Bridges, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Paul Tripp).


5. Reading to pursue vocational excellence - business, writing, teaching, studying, homemaking, etc.


6. Reading to enjoy a good story - yes, it is okay for Christians to read for joy not just usefulness! More about that next week.

Why not go away and write a list of categories you'd like to read in this year? (You can check out mine here here and here.) Then choose some books (you can ask me for ideas, or ask someone you trust). Just make sure you include the Bible and books about Jesus' death and resurrection. And a little something just for fun!

You can comment here.

image is by pamhule at flickr

why women should read more theology (what I'm reading: Tony Reinke's Lit!)

Do you find it easy, or hard, to read books? Either way, this one's for you.

Top of the list of books I've read recently is Tony Reinke's Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books. I'm an avid reader, and I learned heaps about what and how to read. If you struggle to read, I suspect you'll find this book even more helpful.

Maybe you want to read more, but don't know where to start. Maybe you love books, but your reading feels a little aimless. Reinke covers it all, first with a great theology of books, then with a whole heap of practical tips about how to choose and read books.

This week I've chosen a quote that encourages women to read theological books about Jesus. Next week, I'll go for the other end of the scale, and share something about why we should read novels. Just so you can't say I've left anything - or anyone - out!

Theologically weighty books about Christ are essential for the soul—for men and women. And although women purchase the majority of books released by Christian publishers, women are far less likely to read theological books, writes counselor and author Elyse Fitzpatrick. In her 2003 evaluation of the Christian publishing industry, she writes, “Many women are intimidated by the thought of studying something that is ‘theological’ in nature. They are afraid of being bored, looking foolish, becoming unattractive to men, or becoming divisive.”...

She confronts women who would rather read only novels as a way to escape personal disappointments, and who read these books to “build fantasy castles filled with knights on white steeds who will come to rescue her from her mundane, stressful, empty, or disappointing life.” Rather, she offers this challenge: “Let’s become known as a generation of women who delight in, tremble before, receive counsel from, drink, devour, digest, muse upon, and absolutely cherish God and the truth that He’s revealed about Himself and about ourselves. Let’s not worry about whether we look dumb or too smart.”...

If women commit to reading books of solid theology, their knowledge of Christ will grow..."This is the most delightful pursuit any woman could ever know."

(And who should you read? Reinke suggests, among others, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Jonathon Edwards, John Owen, JI Packer, Don Carson, John Stott, John Piper and CH Mahaney. On the topic of Christ, I'd add Tim Chester and Tim Keller. A good place to start is John Stott's The Cross of Christ and Tim Keller's King's Cross - or how about this one, which I haven't read, but it's by The Don, and that's all the recommendation I need: Don Carson's Scandalous: The cross and resurrection of Jesus.)

Quote is from Tony Reinke Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books pages 96-97.

5 books that changed who I am (2) young adulthood

You might remember that before I went away, I started blogging through this meme, from the lovely Nic, about the books which changed who I am. It was supposed to be one post; since I'm a rambler, I turned it into several. Here's the second.

2. early adulthood - learning to think with God
During my late teens and early 20s my theological foundations were firmed up: what I believe about Jesus, the Bible, God's sovereignty, womanhood, and all kinds of other things. This happened through Bible reading and conversations and prayer - and, yes, books, so it's hard to pick one that changed me most!

I'll go with JI Packer's Knowing God. I must have read the first few chapters a dozen times (and never quite made it to the end of the book!). Packer taught me that knowing God is more than knowing about God, showed me how to meditate on God's truth until it shapes my mind and feelings, and helped me get to know our great God.

Runners up: John Stott The Cross of Christ, Don Carson How Long O Lord, Graham Goldsworthy Gospel and Kingdom, JC Ryle Holiness, and John Piper and Wayne Grudem Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

What about you? Which books have shaped the way you think? Tell us here.

how I read Christian books

This one's left over from all those EQUIP book club posts last month - I couldn't quite fit it into my post on reading the Bible. So I thought I'd save it for this blog! Enjoy.

My guess is that most of us would like to read more Christian books than we do. Perhaps we'd like to read more books than we do! We know Christian books are good for us, but like 5 serves of veges, it's hard to fit them into our daily diet.

So how do you fit Christian books into your life? How do you choose which books to read? How do you remember what you read? Is it okay to scribble all over your books, or are books best left pristine and unadorned? These are the questions I'd like to chat about today.

How I read Christian books when I'm too busy for reading. I keep Piper's goal in mind. He says that if you read for 15 minutes a day, even if you read slowly, you'll get through 10 good books a year. When I first heard this I thought, "Piper really doesn't get how little time mums with young babies have." Now my kids are older, I aim for 15 minutes, although I often can't manage it. To keep my reading ticking over, I put a topical book, with a pencil inside, on a shelf near the loo (TMI!). At times, I've just aimed for 5 minutes a day after I read the Bible - see theological reading for mums and other busy people. I try to remember that something is better than nothing, and if it takes me months to get through a good Christian book, so be it.

How I stay disciplined about reading. The secret is to carve out a regular quiet time for reading. For me, on the days I manage it, this is after my kids get home from school: we chat about the day, I get them a snack, then I have a cuppa and read while they have their (limited!) screen time for the day, before the evening rush begins. I keep reading fun and comfortable: drinking, eating and reading go really well together! I have a few different books on the go to keep it interesting. I only read novels just before going to sleep (mainly!) or I'd never read anything else. One great way I've found to stay motivated about reading is to read a book with a couple of Christian friends and discuss it when we get together - like an informal EQUIP book club.

How I choose what to read. At the start of every year I create a reading plan (I depend a lot on recommendations*) - and get through just over half of it plus extras, if this year's list is any indication! I try to include something from these categories, chosen because they're helpful in themselves or important in my life: the cross, old Christian classics, biography, biblical womanhood, marriage, parenting, and household management. In reality, what happens is that I mainly read about topics I'm thinking and writing about, but the books on my list keep me reading more broadly. I've always got a novel on the go for variety and relaxation - some "worthy", but most fun! I'd love to read more poetry, but I'm not sure how. Any ideas?

How I remember what I read. I have a lousy memory, and can easily read a book then forget it all. The best method I've found is to write a short summary of each chapter at the head of the chapter as I finish it. This gets the book clear in my head and fixes it in my memory. When I come back to it I can see at a glance what's in each chapter, and the small space keeps my notes short. I also pencil significant points, or page numbers indicating significant passages and quotes, in the back of the book, and I'll often write a short review in the front as I read. The only problem is that I can no longer loan out my books or I'll lose my notes! - so I'll buy more books to give away. My friend takes notes and quotes down in a journal. It can also be helpful to read a book through twice: once quickly, once slowly.

What are your favourite ways to keep reading and remember what you read?

I've been encouraged and inspired by Piper's How do you remember what you read?, Meet John Piper and The Pastor as Scholar; Challies' 10 tips to read more and read better and Random thoughts on reading, and Bruce Ashford's On disciplined reading.

*For lists of good books to read, see my some books to read before you die and good books on biblical womanhood, Piper's What are some books that Desiring God recommends, Challies books I recommend, Titus2Talk Books for her, GirlTalk reading, and the books on EQUIP book club.

images are from megan.barton, db+photography, and mickiky at flickr

theological reading online?

Bec asked an excellent follow-up question to last Thursday's post (I think I've got this right): does anyone know of daily reflections by good theologians you can get sent to your email or blog reader?

She says, "I've found that's the best way for me to do Bible reading regularly at the moment, so perhaps that's a good way to do further reading as well".

She suggested one: daily readings by Charles Spurgeon at Morning and Evening.

There are many websites which will send you a Christian quote daily. I subscribe to Of First Importance, where they send you a thoughtful quote about the gospel, and there are others out there, like Christian Quote. I'm sure I've seen some sites which will send you quotes from specific writers like C.S.Lewis, although I don't have the URLs at my fingertips.

But I did a quick internet search and couldn't find exactly what she's looking for.

Does anyone know of any other daily reflections by great theological writers you can get sent to your email or blog reader? Please add them to the comments.

theological reading for mums and other busy people

I believe many who find that ‘nothing happens’ when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand. (C.S.Lewis, introduction to Athanasius' On the incarnation.)

"Ok, Dr. Lewis, I agree with everything you say (apart from the pipe). I was moved to joy and praise more often during the hard theological slog of my PhD, than by any light devotional reading since.

"But I'm a mum. I lost my brain to hormones, I can't sit down without a child climbing over me, and my eyes are grainy with exhaustion. I'm happy if I can read 4 consecutive verses of the Bible, let alone a book of theology."

Or so I would have said just a year ago.

Bookworm that I am, I read virtually no Christian books - besides ones on parenting - during my years with very young children. That's starting to change as they grow older. But here's a secret I wish I knew 9 years ago: regular theological reading is possible for mothers of young children.

There are theological books tailor made for mums and other busy people. Not light devotional books, but real theology by real theologians. I discovered this in a moment of divine serendipity, when I thought I'd ordered one book by John Piper, and a different one arrived in the post.

Here it is: John Piper's A Godward Life: Savouring the Supremacy of God in all of Life, a collection of short daily readings. It only takes 5 minutes a day, so it hasn't been any great stretch to add it to my morning routine! But it lifts my eyes to God and filled my mind with his truth.

And here's another one: Philip Jensen's By God's Word: 60 Reflections for Living in God's World. A friend of mine was given this collection of thoughtful essays by one of the best Bible teachers I've heard. I've dipped into it, and it looks excellent.

I did a quick search on Amazon, and here's some collections of short excerpts from theological giants: John Calvin, Day by Day with John Calvin; William Gurnell, The Christian in Complete Armour; J.C.Ryle, Day by Day with J.C.Ryle; Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening; Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking with God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotional Selections; C.S.Lewis, A Year with Lewis: Daily Readings from his Classic Works and C.S.Lewis: Readings for Meditation and Reflection.

Or you could take a great Christian classic and read a few pages each day: perhaps a book about the character of God like J.I. Packer's Knowing God or John Piper's The Pleasures of God, or a book on Christian living like J.C. Ryle's Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties and Roots or Jerry Bridges' The Pursuit of Holiness.

John Piper says if you read slowly for 15 minutes a day, you'll get through 10 Christian books in a year. To mothers with babies, 15 minutes of reading probably sounds like a dream of a different life. But even 5 minutes a day will get you through 3 books a year. That's 3 more than I've read most years since being pregnant with my first child.

Light devotional reading is fast food, quickly digested and unsatisfying. Good theology is low GI food, slowly and steadily nourishing mind and heart throughout the day.

Why should mums and other busy people live without it?